Click on any of the green bars to go to the listed site. I only recommend sites and products that are directly related to reading and writing, that I have used or previewed myself.
Other Recommended Sites
The sites listed below are products and services that I have found to be aligned with my own teaching philosophy regarding the teaching of phonics.
- Some of the sites offer basic materials needed to teach this program, for example small plastic letters and triangular shaped pencils that are easy for students to grip.
- Some of the sites are other programs that teach phonics. Most of these are paid programs, but the Dekodiphukan program is free. If you are going to use the Sound City Reading program, you will not need to get any of the other phonics programs. However if you decide not to use this program, one the the programs listed below could be useful for you.
- One site teaches movement activities that help students learn. I used certain of these activities daily with my students. They were an important part of my instruction.
Please note that I am not compensated in any way for sharing these links. I am recommending them because I think they can be useful when teaching reading, spelling, and phonics.
Abecedarian - Plastic Alphabet Letters
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The Abecedarian web site at www.alphabetletter.com sells a variety of small plastic letters that are perfect for spelling activities when students are learning to read and spell. These sets of letters are very reasonably priced. Both capital and lower case letters are available and they can be purchased with or without magnets. I have always purchased the letters without the magnets. Just the vowels can be purchased separately in a different color, which is helpful when spelling words. These letters match the learning games available on the Sound City Reading website. Upper and lower case of Spanish letters are also available. The site also sells plastic numbers.
Click on the bar below to visit this site. |
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Triangular Easy To Grip Pencils
Some students have a lot of difficulty holding their pencils. Their grip is too tight or too loose. Their thumb slides up on the pencil, so that they can't move the pencil with precision. These triangular shaped pencils will make it much easier for students to hold their pencils. They work for beginning students and older students who have trouble holding and controlling a penciI with accuracy. I highly recommend them.
Brain Gym
This program has wonderful movement exercises that prepare students to learn. Books are available with straightforward instructions that are easy to implement. I used a few of these exercises on a regular basis with my students for many years. Of particular importance is teaching students to march. As they swing their arms while marching, the right arm should swing backward while the right leg moves forward, and likewise for the left arm and leg. This is often surprisingly difficult for students. Regular practice will bring improvement.
Reading Simplified
Some time ago I learned about Reading Simplified. I saw an offer on Facebook to watch a free video which introduces three methods they use: Switch It, Read It, and Sort It. The switch it activity is very similar to activities in the Sound City Reading program using plastic letters. I especially like that fact that this program has students spell words by saying the letter sounds, not the letter names. The program provides teacher training and all the materials you need for reasonable monthly or yearly payments. If you are not going to use Sound City Reading and are looking for a program that teaches phonics, spelling, and reading with a good teacher training program, I highly recommend Reading Simplified, created by Marnie Ginsberg, PhD. Click on the first green bar below to go to their web site. Or click on the second bar to sign up for the free introductory webinar that I attended, as described above. If you complete the webinar you will be able to download sample pages of their teaching materials.
Spencer Learning
This site is helpful for those who need help learning all of the phonetic patterns and help learning how to decode (sound out) words. This is an online instructional program that teaches decoding directly on the computer screen. You will need an internet connection to do the lessons. Students practice reading both words and sentences. The program is sequential. It includes pages that can be printed for extra practice reading the words and sentences. It must be purchased but in my opinion the price is very reasonable.
Although I haven't used this program before, I think it would work well as a compliment to the Sound City Reading materials on this site.
Click on the green bar to visit this site.
Although I haven't used this program before, I think it would work well as a compliment to the Sound City Reading materials on this site.
Click on the green bar to visit this site.
Touch-Type Read And Spell
This is an online typing program that has the added benefit of teaching phonetic patterns at the same time. Students learn how to place their fingers to type each letter and begin spelling words right away. The sequence covers many phonetic patterns. Students practice typing a number of words with each pattern. My grandchildren used this site and I loved seeing them learn to type. You will need an internet connection to do this program.
Click on the green bar to visit this site.
Click on the green bar to visit this site.
Dekodiphukan (Decode If You Can)
I used this as a supplemental program with my first grade classes many years ago. The students loved it. The version I used was a large kit with numerous center activities. The kit is no longer available, but the author, Bob Baratta-Lorton, has made the program available on line without cost as printouts of the original materials. In addition, he has created a free set of iPad apps that allows students to do all of the same activities on the iPad. The program is based on a sound story called Dekodiphukan (decode if you can). Students hear the story read aloud to be introduced to the sound pictures in the story. Then students do sound blending activities, starting with the sound pictures and moving eventually to letters so that they can read and spell words. This is an extensive program that provides lots and lots of practice so that students can master reading and writing. The program has many engaging pictures to illustrate both words and phrases.
Click on the green bar to visit this site. The Dekodiphukan page is part of the Center For Innovation In Education, Inc. web site, which also includes instructional materials for teaching math.
Click on the green bar to visit this site. The Dekodiphukan page is part of the Center For Innovation In Education, Inc. web site, which also includes instructional materials for teaching math.
Freedom Homeschooling
This site provides links to many different websites that offer free teaching materials for homeschooling. Click on the green bar to go to the site.
Secret Stories
I was fortunate enough to attend an in-service presentation about Secret Stories while I was teaching. Katie Garner has put together a wonderful set of materials that teach phonetic patterns in a very creative way. Her approach is similar to the sound story in Sound City Reading. She tells little individual stories about each of the phonetic patterns to explain why they say their own particular sounds. Wall charts include a picture poster for each of the stories and can be used for reference and review. I used them on my wall for a time combined with my own charts. You can see a picture of them among the wall chart pictures on this site under OVERVIEW OF MATERIALS, WALL CHARTS, PREVIOUS WALL CHARTS. The Secret Stories posters I had were printed on a red background. The newer versions are far more colorful.
Click on the bar below to visit this site.
Click on the bar below to visit this site.
